Suggestions on Hard drive layouts wanted.

[conipto]

OK, I am reformatting, and installing multiple OS's, each of which I need to have for specific work-related programs that need to be run on them. This box has two HD's:

20GB
160GB

I will need to have:

Windows XP pro sp2
Fedora Linux
Windows 2000 Pro
Windows server 2003 enterprise (evaluation version for now, for testing app-development)
Windows 98 / DOS.

The trick will be, as I see it, deciding what sizes to partition for what, and what will be interoperable between OS's. Since 98/DOS, Linux, and WIn2K+ all use different storage formats over 2 GB, I want to figure out the best route.

Also, I know that installing the OS's may be somewhat critical to be done in a specific order (in order to get a boot menu properly)

So, here is my plan:

Partition 20 GB as such:

2GB - C: FAT16 Boot Partition / Win98/DOS System Partition
2GB - D: FAT16 For interop for all OS's sort of a "temp" drive.
16GB - E: Linux Partition

160 would go something like:
60 GB : NTFS Partition for Win2K, WinXP, 2003 Server System drives.
100 GB: NTFS Partition for all windows data, and installed programs. On this partition, Instead of "Program Files" I will have to remember when installing programs to use a path like "2K Program Files", "XP Program Files", "Serv Program Files", etc.

So, where might I run into problems? Currently I am just using the two drives as single NTFS Partitions, and my laptop for some fat16 stuff that I have to use now and then. I want to be able to utilise my laptop more for what it was designed (it's brand new), and use my home office PC for work related stuff since I'm at home so much now.

Any suggestions also on install order?

Bill

[-TPM-]

Hd wise i'd say that looks fine. You might want to look at getting a boot manage though. Something Like boot magic.

[dglienna]

Put each OS into it's own partition. I remember I had some real trouble with W2K and Win98. Can't remember exactly, but I think I had them both on the C: drive, and the registry ended up getting corrupted. Format time.

[-TPM-]

That's how he has it..... :S

[dglienna]

I allowed 15G for XP Home a few weeks ago, and have 4G available now. If you are giving 20G to each, that might be a conservative estimate, and you'll also have to to upates to each OS. I knew that you weren't giving 60G to each OS with a 160G drive

On my laptop with a 60G drive, I'll let the picture speak for itself.
I have 3 Program Files folders, all on the same menu It goes quicker than expected!

[DaveBo]

If you're using Partition Magic it has a lot of good info on mixing/matching multiple OSes.

Isn't there a limit to how many primary/bootable partitions you can have?

Why FAT16?
I don't know about Linux, but I believe all the Windows OSes are compatible with FAT32 and could easily share a common data partition using that.

Have fun, DaveBo